The key facts

  • 380 nominations from more than 90 countries for the 2027 award; 21 countries applied for the first time
  • Winners receive $1 million; announcement in February in Abu Dhabi
  • The 2026 jury included Saida Mirziyoyeva, Head of the Presidential Administration of Uzbekistan

Record-breaking reach of nominations

The Zayed Award for Human Fraternity 2027 received 380 nominations from more than 90 countries, the press office of the Emirate of Abu Dhabireported. The submission deadline closed in October. Twenty-one countries nominated candidates for the first time, including Ethiopia, Germany and the Netherlands; the largest number of applications came from the UAE, Brazil, the USA, Egypt and India.

Who chooses the winners

The applications will be reviewed by a jury which, according to The National, includes former President of Portugal Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and former President of Iraq Barham Salih, Lebanon's First Lady Nehmat Aoun, former Chairman of the Senate of Kazakhstan Maulen Ashimbayev, and Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi. The winners will be announced at a ceremony in Abu Dhabi in February; the prize is $1 million.

Uzbekistan on last year's jury

The award was established after Pope Francis's visit to the UAE in 2019 and is named after the founder of the UAE, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Since 2019, it has been awarded to 20 laureates from 20 countries for contributions to healthcare, education, sustainable development, support for refugees, community development, food aid, and the empowerment of youth and women. The 2026 laureates — a Palestinian non-profit organization, the architects of the peace agreement between Azerbaijan and Armenia, and the advocate for Afghan girls' education Zarka Yaftali — were chosen by an independent committee that included, among others, Saida Mirziyoyeva, Head of the Presidential Administration of Uzbekistan. They were honored on February 4, the UN-marked International Day of Human Fraternity, at the Founders Memorial in Abu Dhabi.

Zayed Award for Human Fraternity: Nominations open for 2027 event